


On the Topic of Love

by dimidiom



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Screenplay/Script Format, Sibling Bonding, look i wrote this for a class and i want other people to read it, mentions of past relationships - Freeform, waxing poetic about love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28603575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dimidiom/pseuds/dimidiom
Summary: two siblings talk about their experiences with love at their sister's wedding.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), i mean it takes place at a wedding but we never meet the bride or groom sooooooo, some good good sibling relationships
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	On the Topic of Love

**Author's Note:**

> hhhhhhhh look i wrote this for my theater appreciation class a few months ago and i finally am getting the courage to post it somewhere cause im pretty happy with how it came out?? it was a exercise where we had to write a scene using a line of dialogue from another play, and i chose 'people are meant to go through life two by two. Taint natural to be lonesome.' from Our Town (a play i have never seen) simply because my eyes zeroed in on it and my brain went '!!! hey we can rant about our weird relationship with love with this!!!' 
> 
> soooooo yeah

**Scene**

Outside in a courtyard of a church, various old stone statues and several columns are scattered around, surrounding a stone bench. Soft music and upbeat murmurs from inside the church speak happily about a recent wedding. VALERIE, mid 20's, sits in the middle of the stage on the bench, hair piled on top of her head in a complicated but nice-looking mess, and hands buried in the fabric of the skirt of her rose-pink dress. She looks longingly up at the sky off-stage, lost in her thoughts. A few seconds pass until JULIANNE, Valerie's oldest sister, early 30's hair loose and just formal enough to not get yelled at by her mother (short yellow dress, a roughed up looking jacket, and boots), walks out onstage muttering to herself, obviously looking for something. JULIANNE spots VALERIE sitting on the bench and her expression softens. JULIANNE walks over to a column and casually leans on it.

**JULIANNE**

(softly)

Hey.

VALIERE jumps, surprised, but quickly relaxes when she sees JULIANNE. VALIERE rolls her eyes and huffs out a laugh. 

**VALIERE**

(playfully scoffing)

Well, hello to you too.

**JULIANNE**

You know, Evie’s been looking for you. Said something about wanting to thank you for the thousandth time about introducing her to Adam.

**VALIERE**

(smugly)

It’s called being a good little sister.

VALIERE looks away and sighs a bit. She waves her hand apologetically. 

**VALIERE**

Sorry. I’m in a strange mood and I didn’t want to ruin the wedding festivities for everyone.

JULIANNE moves over to the bench, nudging VALIERE a bit with her arm until she relents and moves over so JULIANNE can sit next to her. 

**JULIANNE**

Come on, Valentine, I thought you liked this kind of stuff. It’s like a full-on Rom-Com movie in there. I’d thought you’d be all over this kind of thing.

**VALIERE**

(rolls her eyes)

Yes, _normally_. But not right now. As I said before, I’m in a _mood._

**JULIANNE**

(laughing to herself)

Well then, Val, what kind of _mood_ are you in?

**VALIERE**

(playfully overdramatic)

 _Ugh._ I’m _yearning._

JULIANNE laughs. 

**VALIERE**

(slightly offended)

Oh shush, it’s not that funny! You know, people are meant to go through life two by two. Taint natural to be lonesome.

JULIANNE laughs a bit more. 

**JULIANNE**

Since when have you used the word- (She cuts herself off) Where did you even _learn_ the word ‘taint’?

VALIERE pokes at JULIANNE’s side

**VALIERE**

Ever since _you_ had the wonderful idea of gifting me those old romance novels you found at the library for five dollars a box.

**VALIERE**

Ever since then I just (pause) _yearn._

**VALIERE**

That’s- That’s what I do now. I yearn. (pause) I yearn for those chilly autumn nights where I can sequester myself under a quilt with a hot cup of tea and- and somebody I can love beside me. 

VALIERE stands up and walks over to a stone statue of a woman holding herself in a hug, while JULIANNE, still sitting on the bench, watches her confusedly but still with a small smile on her face. 

**VALIERE**

I want those feeling of- of butterflies in my stomach when I hear my love laugh and feel pride and love and- Because I was the thing that made them laugh. I want that feeling of fireworks every time we touch, even when our hands barely brush as we reach for a pencil that fell to the ground during class.

VALIERE starts slowly circling the statue, taking her time to study every curve. JULIANNE has lost her smile. 

**VALIERE**

I _yearn_ to feel that feeling you get when you’re twelve and your friends are teasing you for liking someone and there is no _feasible_ way to deny it, because every single part of what they are saying is true. 

VALIERE finishes her inspection of the statue and starts walking back to JULIANNE, a bittersweet smile on her face. 

**VALIERE**

(a little desperate to get her point across)

I want to be able to love someone so- so unabashedly and so fully that I would do any and every inconceivable thing for them, even if they would never return the favor. I want to- I want to love and be loved! What an _awesome_ power, in the very definition of the word! To fully give yourself up for someone. 

JULIANNE looks at VALIERE, like she’s trying to find something. For the first time, she looks serious. 

**JULIANNE**

But would you be living for yourself then?

VALIERE opens her mouth to speak, but JULIANNE pulls her back down onto the bench beside her. She swings her arm around VALIERE’s shoulders and nocks their heads together lightly.

**JULIANNE**

(softly)

You’re right. Love can be all of those things, but- but it can also be bad. It can hurt you- and you can end up losing bits of yourself. 

VALIERE looks up at JULIANNE questionably, but doesn't say anything. JULIANNE notices, and sighs.

**JULIANNE**

You remember that guy Rogan? I dated him _years_ ago but- every time someone calls me ‘Annie’ or whenever I smell tomato soup or whenever a _Lego_ commercial comes on, I think of him and it hurts. Back then. I paired him up with everything I had at that time, so that every time I thought of something, I thought of him. But then, he did what he did and that method I had just made me spiral.

VALIERE scoots closer to JULIANNE, wrapping her arms around her and lays her head on her shoulder. JULIANNE lets out a breathy laugh and reaches up her hand to lightly pet at VALIERE’s hair, careful not to majorly mess up any part of the complicated mess.

**JULIANNE**

I’ve gotten better, but um- you have to realize that there’s love everywhere, yeah? Uh, what was it, the- the Romans? They had different words for the different kinds of love they experienced-

VALIERE shoots away from JULIANNE, aghast. JULIANNE jumps and pulls her arms away, scared that she said something wrong. 

**VALIERE**

It- It was the Greeks- but continue.

VALIERE leans back down against JULIANNE and pulls her arms around her like they were before she jumped away. JULIANNE blinks, surprised, but shakes her head and squishes VALIERE into her side.

**JULIANNE**

Alright, Greeks. But, uh, they had a word for their love for family, for friends, for _yourself_. Love is in everything. It’s everywhere and it’s in everything you do! Love is in so many small things that only really seem small because they happen so often. People take things for granted but you can’t forget what they mean.

**JULIANNE**

(with a fond smile on her face)

For me, love is remembering that at fifteen years old, you decided that your favorite kind of pizza is Hawaiian, simply because you enjoy making people mad about the pineapple. It’s making sure that I’m stocked up on hot chocolate and mini marshmallows in case Evie ever comes by to talk. It’s sending mom flowers every couple of months because I need to show that, even though we hate each other, I still need to do something to show that I still care about her. It’s-

JULIANNE cuts herself off and laughs. She rocks side to side pulling and pushing VALIERE along with her until they both are giggling.

**JULIANNE**

Remember when you adopted Darcy?

VALIERE laughs and nods her head furiously.

**JULIANNE**

And how the minute you first saw him, you put your hand against his cage-

**VALIERE**

(cutting off JULIANNE, still nodding and sounding a bit choked up)

And he pawed at my fingers and wouldn’t stop crying.

**JULIANNE**

And how you wouldn’t move from that spot until you had that little kitten in your hands. And how you cried and cooed at him all the way home? (she laughs) That’s love. Love is in everything you do, sometimes you just have to look for it. 

They stop rocking back and forth, but the two are still huddled together. 

**JULIANNE**

I get that you want that all-consuming love. But sometimes it just- doesn’t happen or- or when it does, it’s not healthy. That kind of love can turn into obsession very quickly. And that can be dangerous for everybody.

VALIERE buries her face into JULIANNE’s shoulder. JULIANNE tightens her grip around VALIERE.

**JULIANNE**

One day, you might find The One. Maybe you never will. But that should never stop you from 

loving. 

They sit there for a moment, just the two of them in an empty garden. VALIERE pulls back and stands up. She wipes her eyes, pats down her skirt to ‘clean’ it, and coughs a little.

**VALIERE**

(voice wavering slightly)

Julie, you are a bully. Making me cry like this. I have make-up on. What if my mascara’s running?

JULIANNE laughs.

**JULIANNE**

Hey. 

She waits until VALIERE is looking at her.

**JULIANNE**

(a knowing smile on her face)

You know what also’s love? (pauses) It’s going back in there and eating some amazing cake _because our sister just got married_! Can you believe that?

VALIERE laughs and pulls JULIANNE up by her arm beside her. As soon as she’s standing VALIERE shoves herself into a hug.

**VALIERE**

(still a bit emotional)

Thank you, for that. I know I can get a little-

**JULIANNE**

Valentine, as the oldest sister in this family, at this point I consider it my job.

The two tighten their hug before letting go. VALIERE laughs and pulls JULIANNE by the hand with her as they walk offstage to rejoin the party, still talking.

**JULIANNE**

I still can’t believe my little baby sis Evelyn got married. I know that it’s probably not as strange to you since she’s always been older than you, but I can just remember when she was seven and did the most ridiculous things imaginable-


End file.
